System and method of intelligent call routing for cross sell offer selection based on optimization parameters or account-level data

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and methods for a call routing system is disclosed whereby the call routing service provider is associated with a series of partners. By providing a system supporting not only the main user, but also the partners, efficiencies are gained through cost-spreading. Agents can be qualified to field calls for multiple business entities. Cross-selling and proactive servicing based on caller demographic and profile data can be effectuated. The system employs a centralized or global bank of shared Interactive Voice Response (IVR) units so that unnecessary post-routing and call site interflow are reduced. The system comprises a central server system that interfaces with a long distance provider so that route requests are received, caller data is retrieved from one or more databases, routing and handling strategies are developed, load balancing is effectuated, and calls are appropriately routed to one of a plurality of geographically separated call center systems with queues staffed by agents. Each call center system is designed to support various queues, and agents may be qualified or assigned to various queues based on their skill sets and skill levels.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.10/286,767 entitled “System and Method of Call Decisioning in a VirtualCall Center Integrating Telephony with Computers,” filed on Nov. 4, 2002(Atty. Ref. No. 47004.000227), which is a continuation of applicationSer. No. 09/349,960, entitled “System and Methods for Call Decisioningin a Virtual Call Center Integrating Telephony with Computers,” filed onJul. 9, 1999 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,553,113) (Atty. Ref. No.47004.000031). The disclosures of both of the aforementionedapplications (Ser. Nos. 10/286,767 and 09/349,960) are incorporated byreference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a system and method forrouting phone calls in a service center that integrates telephony withcomputers to provide a positive and personalized service environmentthat increases caller recognition, provides cross-selling benefitsthrough proactive servicing, and spreads cost by supporting partnersassociated with the call center provider.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is increasingly common that consumers seek service from businessconcerns using the telephone. For example, a consumer seeking to placean order, schedule a delivery, file a complaint, or query an accountbalance may place a call to a centralized number provided by a businessconcern. It is well known that businesses often provide such numbers asso-called toll-free “800” numbers or the like.

Such toll free sites may be staffed by a series of agents who have beentrained in customer service. While most agents will have generalizedtraining and knowledge in dealing with customers, they typically havedifferent levels of experience and training with regards to particularskill sets. For example, certain agents will have extensive experiencewith one type of product or transaction, while other agents will haveexperience with different products or transactions. Thus, agents mayhave different skill sets. Two agents may have familiarity with a givenproduct or transaction, but may have a different level of skill for thegiven item. Thus, agents may have different skill levels for a givenskill set.

Additionally, certain agents may have specialized skill sets not readilyadapted to training, but still very important to certain customers. Forexample, some agents may have fluency in certain languages, such asSpanish or French.

Turning to the other side of the customer service interaction, eachcustomer may need a different type of service or transaction and,moreover, each customer may have certain other non-transaction specificneeds. For example, in the context of a credit card provider, onecustomer may seek to execute a balance transfer from one card account toanother. A second customer may seek to increase his/her credit limit.Thus, these two customers have different service needs. Consequently,each may need to be routed to a service specialist with the appropriateskill set, i.e., to execute a balance transfer or to process a creditcard limit increase.

Some toll free sites are so-called “virtual call centers,” whereby callsare routed to agents at call centers at different geographic locations.These systems have significant drawbacks in their ability to properlyroute calls. Often a customer's particular needs are not fullyascertained until after a call has been routed to a call site. It is notuncommon that a call will have to be rerouted to a different sitebecause a qualified agent does not exist or is occupied at that site. Inthe example given above, the customer seeking a limit increase may berouted to a first site that has no available agents with that skill set.The result is that the call routing system must “pull back” the call toreroute it to a second site. This ties up system resources (e.g., portsat a peripheral device at the first call site) and often results incustomer dissatisfaction. This problem, referred to as “site interflow,”is a significant drawback in conventional systems.

Having routed the call to a second site with an agent qualified toexecute limit increases, the call routing system might then learn thatthis customer requires an agent with fluency in Spanish. The callrouting system may learn this when the customer first talks with anagent. Or the customer may be first be routed to a “front-end”interactive voice response unit (IVR or VRU) at the call site. Thecustomer may then enter digits in response to a menu asking whether thecustomer has special language requirements. In this example, the callrouting system may now be required to route the customer to a third callsite because the second site has no agent fluent in Spanish and alsoqualified to execute limit increases. Again, system resources are tiedup and the customer may be further irritated by the delay in servicingthe call.

In short, conventional systems' inability to route calls to the bestagent on the “first pass” results in two significant drawbacks. First,system resources are used suboptimally, resulting in significant costsfor call routing systems that may have to handle thousands of calls perhour. Second, customer satisfaction is not maximized, resulting in lostaccounts and sales. In a modern economy where service is the hallmark ofsuccessful enterprises, this is a significant disadvantage.

Another disadvantage of conventional call routing systems is their cost.Implementing a virtual call center may require costly hardware andsoftware in the form of a central routing controller server,interexchange (IXC) long distance interface, administrative workstations, various peripherals such as automatic call distributors (ACDs)and primary branch exchange units (PBXs), and hardware for the networkinterface such as for a Wide Area Network (WAN). There are alsosignificant costs associated with the software necessary for interfacewith the IXC, load balancing, data management, and network interfacing(e.g., WAN system administration). There are also significant costs forthe human capital required, i.e., the money required to train and payagents and call routing system support personnel.

The high cost of implementing and operating conventional virtual callrouting schemes is a significant disadvantage that may prevent smaller,undercapitalized business concerns from creating virtual call centerservices.

Other problems and drawbacks also exist.

According to Andrews, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,452, a generalizedcall routing system is disclosed having a central controllerdistributing calls to agent systems based on real time statusinformation and generalized load balancing considerations. However, theAndrews system does not solve the problems described above, nor does itachieve some of the objects and provide many the advantages of theinvention described below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

For these and like reasons, what is desired is a system and method ofproviding a call routing system providing a virtual call centerconfigured with centralized IVR's so that customer calls are moreefficiently routed to qualified advisors without undue rerouting andqueues within a call site.

Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to overcome oneor more of the aforementioned and other limitations of existing systemsand methods for providing a virtual call center.

It is another object of the invention to provide a virtual call centerwith a virtual call center provider that is associated with a series ofpartners so that costs are reduced and hardware/software and humanresources are shared.

It is another object of the invention to provide a virtual call centerwith strategic decisioning logic relying on customer behavior data orprofile in order to route callers in a fashion that increases customersatisfaction and revenue.

It is another object of the invention to provide a virtual call centerwith proactive servicing, whereby database information and strategicdecisioning logic is employed to predict other services and products ofinterest to a caller so that the call can be routed accordingly.

To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, and inaccordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadlydescribed, an embodiment of the present invention comprises an apparatusand method for a call routing system supporting the virtual call centerprovider (e.g., the main business concern) and a series of associatedpartners. Costs of implementation and operation are spread amongst theusers. The system employs one or more banks of centralized IVR's topermit customer input information to be gathered before call routing tocall sites within the virtual call center network. Site interflow andpost-routing requirements are reduced. The system employs decisioninglogic based on customer behavior or profile data in order to providerouting strategies (where to send the call) and handling strategies (howshould the agent handle the call once received). This strategicdecisioning logic also generates routing strategies for so-called“proactive servicing,” or routing based in part on predictions aboutother services or products of interest to a customer based on behavioror profile data.

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitutepart of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of theinvention and, together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention. It will become apparent from the drawingsand detailed description that other objects, advantages and benefits ofthe invention also exist.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description that follows, and in part will be apparent from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectsand other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained bythe system and methods, particularly pointed out in the writtendescription and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The purpose and advantages of the present invention will be apparent tothose of skill in the art from the following detailed description inconjunction with the appended drawings in which like referencecharacters are used to indicate like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the call routing system according to anembodiment of the invention, including a central server system, IVR's,call site centers, data logger system, administrative controller system,database, IXC and IXC interface, local exchange and call originatingsite.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram according to an embodiment of the inventionillustrating data that may be stored in a call router database.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram according to an embodiment of the inventionillustrating a call center for receiving calls routed by the callrouting system.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram according to an embodiment of the inventionillustrating an IVR system, including a control server, interface andseries of individual IVR's, for receiving caller information in order tofacilitate proper routing.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram according to an embodiment of the inventionillustrating the concept of queue assignment at the call site centers.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram according to an embodiment of the inventionillustrating the partnering concept for servicing of multiple businessconcerns using the call routing system.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method, according to an embodimentof the invention, for servicing callers using the call routing system.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method, according to an embodimentof the invention, for the central server system to prepare routing andhandling strategies to facilitate the delivery of a general 800# call toa qualified agent.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method, according to an embodimentof the invention, for the central server system to prepare a routingstrategy for delivery of a partner 800# call to a qualified agent.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating, according to an embodiment of theinvention, the potential routing paths of a call placed to a toll-freenumber for the call routing system.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram depicting a graphical user interface thatincludes a list of offer presentations generated according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a basic flow chart depicting strategic decisioning based onaccount-level and optimization parameters in an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart depicting, according to an embodiment of thepresent invention, generating a routing strategy specific to a call-incustomer.

FIG. 14 is a chart depicting lead optimization results according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a chart depicting routing list formation for a number ofcall-in customers according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As discussed in the Summary of the Invention, the present invention isdirected to a method and apparatus for a call routing system thatreduces post-routing site interflow and that supports multiple partnersand proactive servicing through strategic decisioning.

Strategic decisioning generally refers to the concept of establishinginformed routing strategies based on some combination ofcustomer-supplied data, DNIS/ANI data, and customer profile behaviordata to improve caller satisfaction, reduce interflow and provideproactive servicing and cross-selling.

Overview of the System

FIG. 1 depicts an overview of the system, according to an embodiment ofthe present invention, including central server system 100; data loggersystem 110; administrative controller system 115; call router database105; IVR system1 125; IVR system2 120; call site center system 1 145;call site center system2 150; call site center system3 155; IXCinterface 127; interexchange carrier (IXC) 130; local exchange carrier135; and caller 140.

Central server system 100 comprises a server system for centralizedcontrol over the call routing in the call routing system. Generally,central server system 100 includes hardware and software for supportingsystem administration, database management, carrier network interface,and transmission/reception of data to/from the central IVR's (blocks 120and 125) and call site center systems (blocks 145-155). In general,central server system 100 receives routing requests from interexchangecarrier (IXC) 130. Central server system 100 processes routing requests,as well as other information, to issue a return route address to IXC 130to control where a call is routed. As will be discussed in greaterdetail below, sometimes the return route address causes a call to beforwarded to an IVR system (e.g., pre-routing to IVR system1 125 or IVRsystem2 120), and other times the call is forwarded to one of the callsite center systems (e.g., post-routing call site center systems 1-3,modules 145-155).

In one embodiment, central server system 100 comprises an IntelligentCallRouter™ (ICR) system marketed by GeoTel Communications for callrouting to a plurality of peripherals at call centers. While notdepicted in FIG. 1, one or more backup servers may be provided forpurposes of redundancy to ameliorate or eliminate the effects ofcrashes, malfunctions and the like.

Regarding the communication between central server system 100 and theother system elements, the interface and protocol may comprise meansfamiliar to those of skill in the art. The interface between systemelements may be through direct connection or direct lines or may be overa network, such as the Internet, Wide Area Network (WAN), Local AreaNetwork (LAN) or the like. In the preferred embodiment, call site centersystems 1-3 (blocks 145-155) interface with central server 100 over aWAN. Regarding data format for non-voice data (such as real-time statusinformation transmitted from peripherals to central server system 100),TCP/IP protocol is used, although departures therefrom remain within thespirit and scope of the invention.

Data logger system 110 comprises hardware and software for loggingactivity of the call routing system. For example, data logger system 110may provide for the storage of records reflecting the path taken byevery call entering the call routing system. Data logger 110 may storerecords reflecting activity levels of various peripherals, such as IVR'sand call centers, so that system administration personnel can evaluatelong term loading levels. Data logger system 110 may provide for storageof both short-term transactional data (see, e.g., FIG. 2, module 200)and long term historical data (see, e.g., FIG. 2, module 205).

Administrative controller system 115 may comprise a workstation or thelike for administering and monitoring the call routing system.Administrative controller system 115 may be used to input new parametersor routing scripts to central server system 100. Administrativecontroller system 115 may be used to access data in order to generatereports reflecting activity on the call routing system, such as volumeof calls, allocation of calls to various queues, rate of accountrecognition, site interflow rates and so forth.

Call router database (CRD) 105 comprises storage means for storing datafor the call router system. CRD 105, discussed further below inconnection with FIG. 2, may comprise any reliable storage technology,such as hard drives, CD-ROM, optical drives and so on. Generally, CRD105 is accessed by central server system 100 in order to retrievecustomer identification and profile or behavior data in order togenerate routing strategies and return addresses. CRD 105 is alsocontrolled by central server system 100 to store transaction and historydata reflecting activity on the call routing system.

IVR system1 125 and IVR system2 120 collect information from callers(e.g., using touch-tone activated voice menus) in order to route callsto the proper target, such as to a qualified agent at a queue at a callsite. In the preferred embodiment, calls are first forwarded (i.e.,pre-routed) to one of said IVR systems. Callers can receive automatedservicing and access to their accounts using the touch-tone controlledmenus. Alternatively, callers seeking servicing by a live agent can“dial out” by entering “#” or the like. In that event, additionalinformation can be received in order to recognize the proper account andprovide the best return route address to IXC 130. In this embodiment,once the return route address (e.g., for post-routing) is determined bycentral server system 100, the call may be returned from the IVR to IXC130 by using a technology such as so-called “take back and transfer”(TNT) technology supported by MCI Corp. Once the call is returned to IXC130, it is routed to the proper target in accordance with the returnroute address. IVR system1 125 is discussed further in connection withFIG. 4.

Call site center systems 1-3 (blocks 145-155) comprise call sites forreceiving calls forwarded by IXC 130. Generally, said call sites willcomprise one or more so-called peripherals capable of receiving calls,such as local VRU's, PBX's (Private Branch Exchange), and ACD's(Automatic Call Distributors). Said call sites generally include agentsand agent workstations for human-assisted call processing, furtherdiscussed in connection with FIG. 3.

IXC interface 127 represents hardware/software that may be required toconvert data transmitted between IXC 130 and central server system 100.Long distance carriers may have data formats (e.g., for the routerequest and return address) that differ among long distance providers(e.g., MCI™ v. Sprint™) and that may require conversion into a formatusable by central server system 100. Broadly speaking, IXC interface 127represents the interface that permits the integration of computers andtelephony (often referred to as CTI or computer telephony integration)for the call routing system.

IXC 130 represents the long distance carrier network that is controlledby central server system 100 to route calls to call sites and queues atthe different geographic locations. While not depicted in FIG. 1, IXC130 may further comprise a data access point (DAP) representing thepoint or node in the long distance switching network that receivesreturn route address data to determine call destination.

Local exchange carrier (LXC) 135 represents that local phone networkreceiving a customer's call in a local area for forwarding to IXC 130.For example, a customer calling a toll-free 800 number is routed throughhis/her local phone network to the long distance network, IXC 130.

Caller 140 represents the caller originating a call that is routedthrough the call routing system.

The Call Router Database

FIG. 2 further illustrates CRD 105, which comprises the data maintainedby the call routing system, including short term log data module 200;long term historical data module 205; peripheral status data module 210;customer profile behavior data module 215; account lookup data module220; IVR transaction data module 225; strategies module 230; and routingcodes data module 235.

At the outset, those of skill in the art will appreciate that theallocation of the data components of CRD 105, as depicted in FIG. 2, isfunctional and exemplary. The depicted modules could easily be combinedor further divided without departing from the spirit of the invention.The purpose of FIG. 2 is to further explain the invention and is notintended to suggest that any particular database structure must bemaintained.

Short term log data module 200 may comprise a module for storing shortterm data maintained by the call routing system, such as a log oftransactions associated with recent calls. For example, if a call hasbeen transferred out of a first site for some reason (e.g., a caller hasan unsuccessful transaction with a given agent), short term data may beaccessed to ensure that the call routing system reroutes the call to theproper target queue (e.g., not back to the very same agent). Long termhistorical data module 205 may comprise a module for storing datareflecting long term usage and trends in the call routing system. In oneembodiment, the data in long term historical data module 205 maycomprise the results of averaging or integrating the short term data.Long term historical data module 205 may store such data as call volumedistribution (e.g., across call centers), average wait times, averageservice times, call distribution across queue types, and so forth.

Peripheral status data module 210 may be a module for storing real-timestatus information from various system components, such as peripheralsat the call centers and IVR systems. Such status information may includeinformation indicating which queues (or agents) are busy or available.Status information stored by peripheral status data module 210 may beused by the strategic decisioning and load balancing logic (discussedfurther below) performed by central server system 100 to establishviable route return addresses.

Customer profile behavior data module 215 may comprise a data module forstoring data reflecting customer profiles and behavior. Strategicdecisioning logic, especially as regards proactive servicing orcross-selling, relies on predictions of caller needs based on pastpurchasing behavior of consumers as well as general demographic data.For example, customers carrying high balances may generally beinterested in balance transfers to accounts with lower interest rates.Customers who have engaged in transactions with a partner providingcomputer equipment may be interested in proactive servicing for Internetservices or other computer-related products. Customers who havepurchased airline tickets using their credit cards may be interested inspecial travel packages. Customers meeting certain demographic profiles,for example, particular age groups, may be interested in purchasingcertain insurance packages. In general, customer profile behavior datamodule 215 contains the data that is used by the call routing system tomake strategic decisioning predictions about caller needs.

Account lookup data module 220 may comprise a data module storing calleraccount and identification data. For example, if the caller is a creditcardholder calling in reference to his/her account, account lookup datamodule 220 can be accessed to retrieve transactions for the last monthand other account data. Account lookup data module 220 may furthercomprise identification data of a caller, such as name, phone number,address, PIN number, and so forth. When a caller first calls, basicinformation such as calling number ID (number from which the calloriginates) and/or information submitted to an IVR (such as an accountnumber and/or PIN ID) can be used to identify the caller in the firstinstance. This information can be further used to retrieve the properaccount data for the caller. This process can be referred to as “accountrecognition”. One objective of the instant invention is to maximizeaccount recognition so that proper routing strategies can be establishedand customer satisfaction is maximized.

IVR transaction data module 225 may comprise a module containingtransaction data from the IVR banks (see, e.g., FIG. 1, IVR system1 125and IVR system2 120). In the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, so-called centralized IVR's are employed within the callrouting system network to secure additional data from a caller beforerouting to an individual call site. In this fashion, additionalinformation may be secured from the caller so that the proper account isrecognized and strategic decisioning logic and load balancing logic canbe employed to route the call to the best target. This reducesunnecessary site interflow and post-routing that plagues conventionalsystems. IVR transaction data module 225 generally includes datacollected from a caller when routed to an IVR, which may prompt thecaller to select various options and enter touch-tone digits via menuselection.

Routing codes data module 235 comprises a data module with routing codesassociated with particular accounts that correspond to particularrouting strategies. For example, routing codes data module 235 maycomprise routing codes that indicate that the customer for AccountNumber 123456 should receive proactive servicing for balance transfersor Internet services. As a result, when that customer calls the virtualcall center and his/her account is recognized, routing codes data module235 will be checked to ascertain whether this customer has beenpre-designated for particular servicing. In one embodiment, the routingcodes are derived by periodic processing of some combination of profiledata from module 215 and/or account data from module 220. This periodicprocessing to create routing codes may be automated or may entail humanintervention.

Strategies module 230 generally contains the logic or scripts for therouting strategies. Scripts refer to the language or set of commandsemployed by central server system 100 to determine a target site and/ortarget queue for a given call. In one embodiment, said scripts includelogic for strategic decisioning (identifying candidate target queues fora given call) and load balancing (balancing the load across availableresources). In the preferred embodiment, strategies module 230 containsthe strategies corresponding to routing codes stored in routing codesdata module 235.

Call Site Center System

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of call site center system145, including central server call center interface 302; call centeradministrative system 304; primary branch exchange (PBX) 306; centralserver ACD interface 308; automatic call distributor (ACD) 310; agent1system 316; agent2 system 318; agent3 system 320; phone1 322; agentworkstation1 324; phone2 326; agent workstation2 328; phone3 330; andagent workstation3 332. Call site center 145 may further comprise callsite VRUs (not depicted), although the need for them is substantiallyobviated by the centralized VRU banks (modules 120-125) employed by theinvention.

In the preferred embodiment, each call site center system interfaceswith central server system 100 over a WAN, although those of ordinaryskill will appreciate that the interface could encompass otherpacket-switched technologies for communication between remote systems,such via the Internet, World Wide Web, Internet Protocol Next Generation(IPng), Local Area Network (LAN) and the like. Central server callcenter interface 302 represents the hardware and software for theinterface between call site center systems 145-155 and central serversystem 100 which, in the preferred embodiment, employs so-called TCP/IPdata communications protocol.

Call center administrative system 304 may comprise a computerworkstation or the like for administration of each call site centersystem. This system may be used to monitor activity at the call sitecenter system, modify operating parameters, compile and print activityreports, and perform other administrative functions.

PBX 306 depicts a primary branch exchange device, know in the art, forrouting incoming calls to local extensions at the site. As illustratedin FIG. 3, PBX 306 may route incoming calls to agents through ACD 310.

Central server ACD interface 308 represents software and hardware forACD 310 to interface with central server system 100. ACD 310 is aprogrammable automatic call distributor device, know in the art, forrouting incoming calls to so-called targets at the call center, here tothe various agent systems. Agent1 system 316, Agent2 system 318 andAgent3 system 320 may comprise a plurality of agent systems forqualified agents to service calls. Each agent system may be comprised ofone or more agents and a phone and workstation, as depicted by phone1322/agent workstation1 324, phone2 326/agent workstation3 328, andphone3 330/agent workstation 332. The agent workstations may be used todisplay caller information to the agent, such as identification andaccount information, as well as handling strategy information forwardedby central server system 100. In the preferred embodiment, agents will“log-in” to those queues for which they qualify.

The IVR Banks

The IVR (Interactive Voice Response Unit) systems, e.g., IVR system1125, may comprise a series of IVR devices, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Inthe preferred embodiment, the call routing system comprises twocentralized IVR banks comprising IVR system1 125 and IVR system2 120. Inthis exemplary embodiment, IVR system1 125 comprises central server IVRinterface 405; and a series of individual IVR devices IVR1 415, IVR2420, IVR3 425 and IVR N 430.

Central server IVR interface 405 represents hardware and software forinterfacing the IVR banks with central server system 100. In thepreferred embodiment, the data communications protocol is TCP/IP,although those of ordinary skill will appreciate that other formats maybe used. Regarding load balancing, central server system 100 may loadbalance between IVR system1 125 and IVR system2 120. Status informationregarding the operational states of the IVR's is forwarded from IVRsystem1 125 and IVR system2 120 for the purposes of load balancing sothat the proper (pre)route return address can be computed (see, e.g.,FIG. 2, module 225).

As touched upon previously, IVR system1 125 and IVR system2 120 areconsidered “system level” or centralized IVRs that improve theperformance of the instant call routing system compared to conventionalapproaches. Conventional systems generally provide a central server forprerouting (from the long distance exchange to a target within the callrouter network, such as a call site) and post-routing (from the targetto another node in the call router network). Conventional systems relyon limited information for pre-routing (such as originating call numberand called number) so that it is not uncommon that upon arrival at thetarget device, a call must be forwarded out of a first call site to asecond call site for proper servicing (the interflow problem) or toanother target within the first call site (the re-routing problem).

By incorporating shared IVR systems within the call routing network(e.g., modules 120 and 125) before a call is forwarded to a local callsite, additional information can be received so that it is more likelythat the correct account is recognized and the proper routing strategyis computed. The effect is that the so-called hit-rate (% of callsproperly routed) increases dramatically, costs are reduced, and revenuesand customer satisfaction are improved.

Prior systems employed premises-based VRUs (at the call sites) ornetwork-based VRUs. Premises-based VRU systems often result insuboptimal account recognition and site interflow problems.Network-based VRU systems sometimes referred to as “network levelprompting,” direct incoming calls to a VRU within the long distancecarrier network (e.g., IXC 130, FIG. 1). Network level prompting mayincrease account recognition somewhat (over premises-based VRUs) becausethe customer provides additional information (via touch tone input)before the call is routed. There are significant disadvantages, however.First, there is no full access to the call router database (e.g., CRD105) since the VRU is within the external long distance carrier network.Second, network level prompting VRU's generally do not provide fullautomated service and account access if the caller decides not to switchout of the automated system. It has been found that typically aboutfifty percent (50%) of calls terminate at the VRUs. Thus, thecentralized VRUs of the present invention have the advantage ofproviding full access to the account data in the CRD database if thecaller does not require human servicing. It has also been found thataccount recognition has increased from about 60% to approximately 78-85%in moving from a network level prompting virtual call center to oneemploying the centralized VRUs of the present invention.

Queuing and Partnering in the Call Routing System

FIG. 5 illustrates the concept of call queues supported by the callrouting system. Queues represent categories of skill sets or subjectmatters that are supported by agents. Each call site center may supporta variety of queues depending on the services provided by the virtualcall center provider and associated partners. Agents may be qualified tosupport different queues (so-called multiple queue assignment or MQA)and may even have skill level designations to differentiate capabilityfor a given queue. By way of example, a first agent may be qualified tosupport the general queue as well as a Spanish queue at skill level 2.Another agent, who happens to be more fluent in Spanish, may be assignedto the Spanish queue at skill level 1. Agents generally log in to theappropriate queues when they begin servicing calls, although some queueassignments may be automated (e.g., last advisor queue, discussedbelow).

FIG. 5 illustrates the queue concept for an exemplary embodiment of thecall routing system. In the call routing system of FIG. 5, there arethree call site centers, site 1, site 2, and site 3. Each site supportsa series of different queues. Site 1 supports general queue 502 forso-called general service calls. In the preferred embodiment, where thevirtual call center provider provides credit card services, generalqueue 502 provides general service associated with a cardholder'saccount, such as balance inquiries, disputed charges, lost or stolencard reports, and the like. Retention queue 504 represents a queue forretaining customers who may be terminating their account or whoseservice agreement term is near an end. Spanish queue 506 is provided toservice callers requiring a Spanish-speaking agent. Proactive servicequeue product 1 and product 2 represents a queue assigned for proactiveservicing or marketing associated with two designated products (orservices). Multipartner queue 510 may be a queue for supporting severaldifferent partners as a consolidated queue. Best cardmember queue 512represents a queue assigned for servicing valued callers, such ascardmembers with excellent payment histories or especially profitableaccounts. Last advisor queue 514 is a queue assigned for routing acaller to the advisor who serviced him/her during the last call. Forexample, a caller engaged in an ongoing discussion regarding a disputedcharge may prefer to deal with the agent familiar with the matter.

According to FIG. 5, another call site center system at site 2 comprisespartner 1 queue 516 for servicing calls for a first partner, partner 2queue 518 for servicing calls for a second partner, proactive servicequeue product 3 and product 4 520 (similar to block 508), general queue522, cobrands queue 524 for servicing cobranded products or services,best cardmember queue 526, and last advisor queue 528. Yet another callsite center system at site 3 comprises general queue 530, partner 3queue 532, best cardmember queue 534 and last advisor queue 536.

The operation of the call routing system is such that data is stored(e.g., by call center administrative system 304) reflecting the variousqueues that each agent can support. Additionally, each agent logs in sothat central server system 100 can perform the strategic decisioning andload balancing functions based on up-to-date information of agents (andtheir specialties) actually available.

FIG. 6 illustrates the partnering concept of the call routing system. Inthe preferred embodiment, a virtual call center provider 602 (e.g., acredit card service provider) “partners” with a series of other businessconcerns, such as merchants or service providers. Thus, the call routingsystem supports not only the virtual call center provider's servicerequirements, but also those of partners. The benefit is that costs arespread among the different business concerns so that partners, whootherwise may be unable to finance their own virtual call center, canprovide service and marketing heretofore limited to larger,well-capitalized concerns. Moreover, by partnering, the call routersystem provides cross-marketing or cross-selling opportunities nototherwise feasible. According to the exemplary scenario of FIG. 6,virtual all center provider 602 also supports call routing for partner 1604, partner 2 606, partner 3 608 and partner n 610.

Overview of a Method for Call Routing

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for call routing accordingto one embodiment of the present invention. The call routing systemreceives a call, according to step 700. Referring to FIG. 1, the callmay be routed through LXC 135 to IXC 130, where a route request ispassed to central server system 100 through IXC interface 127,indicating that a call has been placed. Next, the call routing systemperforms IVR system load balancing, according to step 705. In theembodiment illustrated by FIG. 1, central server 100, based on statusinformation received from the IVR banks (blocks 120 and 125), mayperform load balancing to determine which of the IVRs should receive thecall.

According to step 710, the call is pre-routed to one of the IVR systems.According to decision block 712, the caller may either select automatedservicing (“No”), in which case automated servicing and account accesswill be provided without human intervention, according to step 714. Ifthe caller desires servicing by a live agent (“yes”) he/she can indicatethat by entering a digit such as “#” or “0”. According to step 715, thecaller submits information to the IVR device, such as keypad entries foraccount number, PIN, phone number, etc. According to step 717, the callrouting system retrieves DNIS (dialed number identification service) orANI (automatic number identification) data based on the called number ororiginating number. As will be further explained in connection with FIG.10, the call routing system may support toll-free calls to one ofseveral 800 numbers or the like. Certain 800 numbers may be assigned tocertain partners or queues, so that calls to partner-specific 800numbers will be routed directly to those partner queues.

The caller information submitted to the IVR is sent to central serversystem 100, according to step 720, and the central server systemattempts to identify or recognize the account, according to step 722,and retrieves account and/or routing code data. According to step 725,central server system 100 generates a routing strategy based on thecaller information. Based on the preroute information and informationfrom the database (see, e.g., customer profile behavior data module 215,routing codes data module 235, and strategies module 230), severalrouting strategies may be obtained. For example, central server system100 may determine the caller, who is seeking a limit increase, should berouted to a general queue. Based on demographic and customer profiledata, central server 100 may also determine that this caller is a goodcandidate for proactive servicing for products 2 and 4. In this case,central server system 100 provides a first routing strategy for sendingthe call to site 1 to an agent qualified for general queue 502 andproactive service queue product 1 and product 2 508 (see FIG. 5).Likewise, a second routing strategy is obtained for sending this call tosite 2 to an agent qualified for general queue 522 and proactive servicequeue product 3 and 4 520. This step may further comprise arbitrationlogic to determine which of the several candidate routing strategieswill be selected.

According to step 730, central server system 100 generates a handlingstrategy corresponding to each routing strategy. For example, for thefirst exemplary strategy discussed above, a handling strategy informsthe agent that this caller seeks a limit increase and may be interestedin product 2. According to step 735, central server system 100 performsload balancing analysis to rationally distribute the call load amongavailable queues (e.g., among the agents staffing call site systems 1-3,modules 145-155, FIG. 1). As mentioned previously, the load balancinganalysis is based on substantially real-time status information receivedfrom the various components of the call routing system.

According to step 740, central server system 100 provides a route returnaddress to the long distance network (e.g., to IXC 130 through IXCinterface 127). The network utilizes so-called take back and Transfer™logic or the like, according to step 745, to take the call from insidethe call routing system network and route it to the designated target(e.g., a particular call site system and queue), according to step 750.Those of ordinary skill will appreciate that the present invention isnot limited to any particular technology for routing the calls from theIVR banks (blocks 120-125) back through the phone network to the targetsite, and that so-called take back and transfer Technology™ is but onemeans for accomplishing the desired result.

According to step 760, central server system 100 sends a handlingstrategy to the target site, which can be presented at an agentworkstation (e.g., agent workstation1 324, FIG. 3) for personalizedtreatment. The target site routes the call and handling strategy to theproper agent, according to step 765, and the agent handles the call,according to step 770.

Strategic Decisioning and Routing Strategies

FIG. 8 is a flowchart further illustrating the routing strategygenerated by central server system 100 to route calls to queues at callsite systems when a general 800# is called (see block 1004, FIG. 10).According to step 805, central server system 100 receives prerouteinformation for the call. As previously discussed, this may compriseinformation such as called number, originating number and data collectedby one of the IVR banks, i.e., IVR system1 125 and IVR system2 120.Caller account data and routing codes are retrieved from account lookupdata (see, e.g., account lookup data module 220 and routing codes datamodule 235, FIG. 2), according to step 810. According to step 815,caller profile behavior data (see, e.g., customer profile behavior datamodule 215, FIG. 2) is retrieved. Based on the retrieved data, strategicdecisioning scripts are run, according to step 820, in order to generateone or more routing strategies and candidate queues for the call, as instep 825 (see, e.g., modules 230 and 235, FIG. 2). Generally, a routingstrategy generates a proposed queue or queues for a given call and theappropriate return address data. As those of ordinary skill willappreciate, the strategic decisioning scripts will be a function of thecomposition of the various queues in a given call decisioning system,and are readily developed as a combination of logical statements orso-called “scripts” developed for call routers.

A handling strategy is identified by central server system 100, as instep 830, so that an agent fielding the call is provided informationappropriate to the routing strategy. The routing strategy selected isthen used to route the call to the proper target site and site queue,according to step 835. Finally, the handling strategy is used by theagent who receives the call, as in step 840.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart further illustrating the routing strategygenerated by central server 100 to route calls when a partner 800# iscalled (see block 1006, FIG. 10). Central server system 100 receives thecaller information, according to step 902. Caller account data isretrieved from the account lookup data, as in step 904. Partnerdecisioning scripts are run, as in step 906. Since the virtual callcenter supports not only the so-called main business concern, but alsothe partners, each partner may provide its own decisioning scripts whichcould be stored in a module such as strategies module 230 of FIG. 2.According to step 908, one or more routing strategies and candidatesqueues are identified. According to step 910, the selected routingstrategy is used to route the call to the proper call site and queue.

A Call Flow Diagram for a Call Routing System

FIG. 10 illustrates the various paths that may be taken by a virtualcall center according to one embodiment of the invention. Calls 1002 maycomprise general 800# calls 1004 or partner 800# calls 1006. Thus, thecall routing system may accept toll-free calls with numbers dedicated tospecific partners, or a general number for the system. If the dialednumber corresponds to a partner 800#, the call is routed to a dedicatedpartner queue, such as to partner 1 1008, partner 2 1010, partner 3 1012and partner n 1014. Even when the dialed number corresponds to a partner800#, queues for special needs such as Spanish 1018 or for proactiveselling like sports 1016 (for sports products) may be supported.

If call 1002 corresponds to general 800# 1004, the call routing systemlogic provides for treatment in one of several categories. Based onpreroute information, the call may be treated as partner account 1022,and routed to one of the queues partner 1 1034 through partner n 1036,sports 1038 and Spanish 1040. If preroute information does not permitcentral server system 100 to identify the account, the call is treatedas unidentified account 1020. In this case, the call is forwarded to oneof the call site systems, such as call site 1 1028, call site 2 1030 andcall site n 1032, so that additional information can be requested fromthe caller. In one embodiment, such calls will be more or less equallyload distributed across the call site center systems (here call site 11028 through call site n 1032) and routed to a general queue.

If preroute information determines the caller requires generalinformation about his/her account (e.g., a balance inquiry), then thecall is treated as general account 1026 and, will be routed in aload-balanced fashion to one of call site 1 1042, call site 2 1046, andcall site n 1048, each of which supports a general queue.

Finally, if the strategic decisioning logic determines that the call isappropriate for proactive servicing, then appropriate routing andhandling strategies are generated, and the call may be treated as newcard 1050 (new cardmembers), essentials 1052 (home products and thelike), health products 1054 (vitamins, supplements and the like),leisure/travel 1056, pet care 1058 (products and services for pets),welcome call 1060 (first-time callers) and other PS queues 1062.

Intelligent Call Routing Based on Account-Level and OptimizationParameters

By considering account-level and behavioral information, embodiments ofthe present invention optimize cross-selling of other products toin-bound callers to customer service representatives (CSRs). By way ofnon-limiting example, accountholder John Doe calls in to have his creditcard account serviced. The CSR will see a pop-up menu on the CSR'sterminal display that indicates the John Doe should be offered severalcross-sell products or services, such as, by way of non-limitingexample, credit balance insurance, home equity line of credit, orprivacy services. The list of designated cross-sell products or servicesis selected based on account-specific information (i.e., specific toJohn Doe's account) and/or behavioral specific information (i.e.,specific to John Doe's observable behavior). The list of designatedproducts or services is also prioritized. The prioritized list may beaddressed by the CSR, or the call might be routed from the CSR toanother agent appropriate for the products in the list.

Embodiments of the present invention involve an optimization algorithmfor strategic decisioning. This algorithm typically has three outputs:(1) whether to route a particular caller to a cross-sell offerpresentation, (2) the list of products or services for that caller (ifrouted), and (3) the priority of the products or services in the list.The inputs to the algorithm are generally based on an expected valuecomputation that factors in the following:

-   -   (1) Call Probability—the likelihood the customer will call at        least once that month; empirically derived for each account and        caller pair; a probability value between zero (0) and one (1);    -   (2) Eligibility—a binary variable of either zero (0) for        ineligible or one (1) for eligible; determined according to        eligibility considerations such as, by way of non-limiting        example:        -   (a) Legitimacy—whether the caller is eligible for a product            based on eligibility requirements (e.g., no home equity            offers for those who don't own a home        -   (b) Partner Restrictions—restrictions imposed by system            partners (e.g., no selling of age-inappropriate items to            accountholders who are AARP members in a Bank One/AARP            partnered card); and        -   (c) Resting Restrictions—withholding offer presentations if            the caller has already rejected the offer during a certain            period or a certain number of time, or has already accepted            the offer and cannot accept it again (e.g., if accountholder            John Doe has been offered product X the three previous            months, then do not offer him that product if he calls this            month);    -   (3) Response Rate—likelihood the caller will accept a given        offer; a predicted value typically based on empirical data from        many callers; a probability value between zero (0) and one (1);    -   (4) Constraints and/or Objectives—e.g., Net Present Value (NPV).        NPV is essentially the profit to the offeror (the expected        profit for a product if the offer is accepted; a dollar value).        The inputs identified above are generally used to compute an        expected value for each accountholder and offer combination so        that the algorithm can determine the three above-noted outputs.        From those computations, each month an embodiment of the        invention will provide a prioritized list of cross-sell products        or services available for each accountholder should he or she        call. The expected value computation is generally computed as,        by way of non-limiting example: the expected value equals the        product of the call probability, the product eligibility, the        response rate, and a financial parameter, such as NPV, from the        constraints and/or objectives. Although net present value is        presented above as being a typical objective in the optimization        algorithm, other constraints and/or objectives may be added or        substituted therefore. By way of non-limiting example, instead        of or in addition to net present value, the following financial        parameters may be used and optimized: revenue (maximize),        responses (maximize), cost (minimize), loss (minimize), call        volume (maximize), and gross profits (maximize).

In general, two distinctions between embodiments of the presentinvention and the prior art are: (1) embodiments of the presentinvention generally determine call routing/cross-selling based onexpected value optimization computations; and (2) embodiments of thepresent invention generally determine call routing/cross-selling basedon account-level and/or behavioral data.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram depicting a graphical user interface 1110that includes a routing list 1150 of cross-sell offer presentationsgenerated according to an embodiment of the present invention. A CSR mayuse the graphical user interface to assist the customer and, possibly,to further route the customer's call according to a call-routingstrategy associated with routing list 1150. As described above, thesystem gathers customer specific and/or account specific data to achieveaccount recognition. Based on these data, the central server systemretrieves a pre-formed call-routing strategy associated with thecustomer, and forwards it to a CSR's terminal. The CSR's terminaldisplays graphical user interface 1110, which includes the name of thecustomer 1120, the account number 1130, and the customer's address 1140.Graphical user interface 1110 also includes routing list 1150 ofcross-sell presentations consistent with the customer's associatedcall-routing strategy. The CSR is able to view routing list 1150 andpossibly route the call in accordance therewith by clicking on aselected offer presentation. Such routing may be to another CSR whospecializes in presenting that particular offer, or may be to a VRUdedicated to presenting that offer. Alternately, or in addition, the CSRmay present the offer to the customer without further routing. The topfive offer presentations for which the customer is eligible are includedin routing list 1150. The CSR may route the call to any other offer forwhich the customer is eligible by manually selecting such an offerpresentation.

FIG. 12 is a basic flow chart depicting strategic decisioning based onaccount-level and optimization parameters in an embodiment of theinvention. On regular intervals (e.g., monthly), the system initiatesgeneration of a cross-sell call-routing strategy for each customer. Foreach customer and each offer presentation, strategic decisioning logicaccepts three inputs: an eligibility flag 1210, model scores 1220, andconstraints and objectives 1230 (such as, by way of non-limitingexample, a net present value).

Eligibility flags indicate whether the customer is eligible for aparticular offer. A customer may be designated as ineligible for aparticular offer because the customer cannot legitimately accept theoffer. Such a situation may occur, by way of non-limiting example, wherethe offer is for a home equity loan, yet the customer is not ahomeowner. Other ineligibility situations arise when a partner of theservice provider imposes restriction as to the types of offers itscustomers may receive. By way of non-limiting example, a partner may bean organization devoted to offering services to retirees. Such a partnermight insist that its customers not receive age-inappropriate offers.The customer himself or herself may also impose an ineligibility. By wayof non-limiting example, the customer may refrain from opting-in or mayopt-out of receiving offers. In such a situation, the customer's accountwill include a do not solicit (DNS) eligibility flag.

A fourth type of ineligibility for an offer occurs when a customer hasalready received that particular offer. Account lookup module 220 ofFIG. 2 stores a record of all offers that have been extended to thecustomer. Once a customer has been exposed to a particular offer one ormore times, the strategic decisioning logic may impose a “restingperiod” during which the customer will not receive the same offer again.The resting period may be any time period, e.g., several hours, days, ormonths, or may be permanent. A resting period may be imposed after aparticular offer has been extended only once, or may be imposed onlyafter an offer has been extended a fixed number of times, possiblywithin a certain fixed time period. For example, a resting period may beimposed after an offer has been extended three times, or it might beimposed only if the offer has been extended three times within anythirty-day period. Certain offers can only be accepted once (e.g., anoffer for account privacy protection). Once such offers have beenaccepted, the system imposes a permanent resting period.

On the data structure level, each eligibility flag preferably takes onone of two values: zero (0) to indicate that the customer is ineligiblefor the offer, and one (1) to indicate that the customer is eligible forthe offer. For multiple offers, the eligibility flags are represented asa string of binary values, one for each offer. For example, aneligibility flag string corresponding to two offers could take on thefollowing values: (0,0), (0,1), (1,0), and (1,1). These eligibilitystring values, and the customer population with which each isassociated, are referred to as eligibility segments.

The strategic decisioning logic also accepts model scores 1220 as aninput. For each individual customer, model scores 1220 may be computedbased upon global mathematical models of all (or some subset of theentire population of) customers, based on that customer's account andbehavioral parameters, or based on a combination of global andindividual customer parameters. Model scores 1220 are typicallyprobabilities, and are therefore typically represented as values fromzero (0) to one (1), inclusive, at the data structure level. There aregenerally at least two types of model scores 1220: offer response ratesand call probabilities. An offer response rate is preferably aprobability that the customer will accept a given offer upon exposure tothat offer. Offer response rates are generally based on empirical datacollected from a population of customers in accepting the offer. By wayof non-limiting example, an offer response rate may be computed as theratio of offers accepted by the sample space of customers to offersextended to the sample space of customers. More sophisticated modelsthat take into account the particular buying habits of the customer atissue are also contemplated. By way of non-limiting example, theaforementioned offer response rate ratio may be weighted by anindividual customer's response ratio.

Call probabilities are also types of model scores 1220. A callprobability represents the likelihood that a particular customer willcall within a particular time period. By way of non-limiting example, acall probability may indicate the likelihood that the particularcustomer will call that month. A call probability is preferably derivedfrom empirical data regarding each account holder. However, moresophisticated models that take into account properties of the globalcustomer base in predicting the call probability for a particularcustomer are also contemplated. In general, call probabilities areoptional parameters in the strategic decisioning logic.

Other types of model scores may also be incorporated with or substitutedfor the aforementioned response rates and call probabilities. By way ofnon-limiting example, suitable model scores include cost predictions,profitability predictions, loss predictions, and other financialparameters.

The strategic decisioning logic also accepts a constraints andobjectives 1230 as inputs. Constraints and objectives 1230 include bothbusiness and call center parameters. Business parameters includefinancial values such as profit, loss, present value, revenue, and cost.Call center parameters include call-handling resources and minimum leadsrequirements (discussed further below in reference to FIG. 13).

A typical quantity that may be included in constraints and objectives1230 is net present value (NPV). Generally, NPV 1230 represents anestimate of the net present value to the offeror if the offer isaccepted. For example, NPV 1230 may represent the present value of alllifetime costs and benefits associated with a single sale of an offeredproduct or service. NPV 1230 therefore may include the costs of makingthe sale and the expected five-year revenue and expenses associated withthat sale. NPV 1230 may incorporate parameters for attrition, billing,average customer balance, tax consequences, interest or discount rate,and terminal value after five years. Conventional present-valuecalculation techniques may be used to compute the-present value of theresulting income and expense streams associated with a particular sale.

Accordingly to an embodiment of the present invention, the strategicdecisioning logic gathers eligibility flags 1210, model scores 1220, andconstraints and objectives 1230, and uses these data to compute anexpected value for each offer relative to each customer. The expectedvalue may be computed as, by way of non-limiting example, the product ofa financial parameter from the constraints and objectives, the callprobability, the offer response rate, and the eligibility flag for thatoffer. As discussed above, the call probability is an optionalparameter. When the constraints and objectives are limited to a netpresent value, the expected value is referred to as an expected netpresent value (ENPV). The ENPV is intended to represent, for eachcustomer and each offer, the expected value to the offeror. The ENPVtherefore generally represents the net present value of a sale weightedby the probability that the sale will occur. For purposes of discussionand by way of non-limiting example, the expected value will beconsidered to be an ENPV for the remained of the description of FIG. 12.

At 1240, the strategic decisioning logic forms a call-routing strategyby ordering selected offers according to optimal ENPV and otherparameters. In one approach, the call-routing strategy selects the offerwith the highest ENPV for the highest priority within the call-routingstrategy. The strategic decisioning logic places the offer with thenext-highest ENPV second, and so on, until all offers with an ENPV overa threshold amount are entered into the strategy. This prioritizing ofoffers could readily be implemented according to other values. Suchvalues would be prioritized in a manner consistent with the optimizationof ENPV described herein. By way of non-limiting example, such valuesmay include any, or a combination of: revenue (maximize), responses(maximize), cost (minimize), loss (minimize), call volume (maximize),gross profits (maximize), and NPV (maximize). As discussed below inreference to FIG. 13, the call-routing strategy may be further optimizedaccording to call-handling resource availability and minimum leadrequirements.

Once formed, the call-routing strategy is implemented at 1250. Theimplementation may be automatic or manual. In particular, the call maybe automatically routed by the central server (and/or IVR banks) inaccordance with the call-routing strategy. Alternately, as discussedabove in reference to FIG. 11, the call-routing strategy may beforwarded to a customer service representative terminal to be displayedin graphical list form. The CSR may make an offer presentation him orherself, may manually implement all or any portion of the call-routingstrategy, or may defer to the system for call-routing strategy automaticimplementation.

Regardless of whether automatic or manual, a customer's call may berouted to an offer presentation in accordance with the call-routingstrategy either before or after the customer's purpose for calling inhas been satisfied. For example, the customer may have called thecentral server in order to inquire about the customer's account balance.The customer's call may be routed to the highest-ranked offerpresentation in the customer's associated call-routing strategy eitherbefore or after the customer has completed the balance inquirytransaction. In either case, the system may route the callautomatically, or a CSR may route the call manually by using thegraphical user interface of FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 is a detailed flow chart depicting strategic decisioninggeneration of call routing strategies. Periodically, by way ofnon-limiting example, monthly, the strategic decisioning logic computescall-routing strategies for all customers and all offers. The processcommences by computing an expected value. For purposes of illustrationand by way of non-limiting example, for the remainder of the descriptionof FIG. 13 the expected value is assumed to be an ENPV. In-boundcross-sell (IBXS) optimization logic 1330 computes an ENPV for eachoffer and customer pair based on customer eligibility, model scores, andnet present value, as discussed above in reference to FIG. 12. Theseinputs are stored in and retrieved from databases 1310, 1315, and 1320,respectively. List management eligibility file 1310 stores offereligibility flags in conjunction with relevant account and behavioraldata associated with each customer. Decision Technologies (DT) scorefile database 1315 stores response rates and call probabilities of eachcustomer. Financial segment NPV database 1320 stores a NPV associatedwith each offer. Each database 1310, 1315, and 1320 is operativelycoupled to IBXS optimization logic 1330, which computes an ENPV for eachproduct based on information retrieved from these databases. The ENPV isforwarded, along with constraints stored in constraint file 1325, tovalue optimization logic 1335.

Constraint file 1325 stores IBXS minimum leads requirements and productrules. The minimum leads requirements are generally developed monthly bymarketing personnel and generally express the preferred number of callsthat are exposed to each particular offer during that month.Alternately, the minimum leads requirements may express the preferrednumber of accounts or customers that are exposed to each offer eachmonth. By way of non-limiting example, a minimum leads requirement mayspecify that an offer for privacy protection be presented to 100,000callers that month. Constraints file 1325 also stores product rules.Product rules include, by way of non-limiting example, whether an offermay be accepted twice, any waiting period associated with the offer,partner-defined restrictions on the offer, and other offer restrictions.Product rules may also include constraints on how the offers are toappear in the call routing strategy. By way of non-limiting example, abalance transfer offer may be specified as always appearing after otherproactive offers (see below) in the call-routing strategy for marketingreasons. Other product rules may also be stored in constraints file1325.

Value optimization logic 1335 receives ENPV and constraints-file dataand assigns first-position offers to customers so as to maximize thetotal ENPV for the channel across all the available offers. To maximizethe total ENPV, optimization logic 1335 first finds the maximum ENPVamong all products for each account, then selects first-position offersby descending maximum ENPV order based on the minimum leads requirementsor other business rules. Other approaches to prioritizing offers mayalso be used (e.g., based upon revenue, responses, cost, loss, callvolume, or gross profits). For each customer, value optimization logic1335 preferably forms a routing list of the ten offers with highest ENPVfor that customer. Value optimization logic 1335 then forwards therouting lists, one for each customer, to minimum leads decision logic1340.

Minimum leads decision logic 1340 checks whether the lists formed byvalue optimization logic 1335 meet the minimum leads requirements. Toaccomplish this task, for each offer, decision logic 1340 identifies allrouting lists in which that particular offer appears in the firstposition. Decision logic 1340 next identifies each customer associatedwith these identified routing lists. Decision logic 1340 then sums thecall probabilities associated with each of these customers. If this summeets or exceeds the minimum leads requirement, then the minimum leadsrequirement is met and the process branches to adjustment logic 1360. Ifthe sum is less than the minimum leads requirement for that offer, thenthe minimum lead requirement is not met. In that case, decision logic1340 passes control to lead optimization logic 1345. In sum, for eachminimum lead requirement associated with each offer, minimum leadsdecision logic 1340 checks whether the sum of the call probabilitiesassociated with routing lists in which that particular offer appearsfirst exceeds the minimum lead requirement.

If the minimum leads requirements are not met, then control passes tolead optimization logic 1345. Lead optimization logic 1345 first breaksup the entire portfolio into eligibility segments. For each segment,lead optimization logic 1345 applies an integer program to maximize, byway of non-limiting example:

$\begin{matrix}{{Max}{\sum\limits_{{1 \leq i \leq I},{1 \leq j \leq J}}\; {E_{ij} \cdot V_{ij} \cdot {X_{ij}.}}}} & (1)\end{matrix}$

In formula (1), the parameter I is the number of eligibility segmentsand J is the number of offers. The parameter E_(ij) is the eligibilityflag for segment i and offer j, V_(ij) is the average ENPV per customerin segment i with offer j in first position, and X_(ij) is a decisionvariable indicating the number of customers in segment i with offer j inthe first position. Formula (1) is optimized subject to the followingexemplary constraints:

$\begin{matrix}{{{\sum\limits_{I \leq j \leq J}\; {E_{ij} \cdot X_{ij}}} \leq F_{i}},} & (2) \\{{\sum\limits_{I \leq i \leq I}\; {E_{ij} \cdot C_{i} \cdot X_{ij}}} = {L_{j}.}} & (3)\end{matrix}$

The parameters in formulas (2) and (3) are identical to those in formula(1) with the following additions. The parameter F_(i) is the number ofaccounts in segment i, C_(i) is the average call probability ofcustomers in segment i, and L_(j) is the minimum lead requirement foroffer j. Formula (2) ensures that at most F_(i) customers are assignedto first position for each segment i. Formula (3) ensures that theminimum lead requirements are met for each offer j. Software packagescapable of optimizing formula (1) subject to formulas (2) and (3) by wayof integer programming include CPLEX available from ILOG and a MICROSOFTEXCEL optimization add-in package SOLVER by MICROSOFT. Linear or mixedinteger programming may also be used. Alternately, lead optimizationlogic 1345 may use other techniques for optimizing leads. Afteroptimizing according to formulas (1)-(3), lead optimization logic 1345passes control and forwards the solution, if it exists, to leadsdecision logic 1350.

Minimum leads decision logic 1350 checks whether lead optimization logic1345 determined a solution was possible. If no solution exists, i.e., ifno rearrangement satisfying all offer minimum leads requirements ispossible, then control branches to minimum leads adjustment alert 1347,which informs marketing personnel that it is impossible to meet thecurrent minimum leads requirements. The strategic decisioning processpauses while marketing personnel revise the minimum leads requirementsstored in constraints file 1325. Upon minimum leads requirementsrevision, marketing personnel reinitiate the process, and control passesback to lead optimization logic 1345. Once minimum leads decision logic1350 determines that a solution is possible, control passes tosegment-level value optimization logic 1355.

Segment level value optimization logic 1355 receives the solutiondeveloped by lead optimization logic 1345 and optimizes routing listswith respect to minimum leads requirements. Specifically, at this stagethere are enough eligible accounts for each segment to ensure that allminimum leads requirements in the first position are met. Segment levelvalue optimization logic rearranges enough eligible accounts in thesegment to ensure that the maximum total ENPV for that segment isachieved.

At this point in the strategic decisioning process of FIG. 13, offersappearing in the routing lists may be categorized as either “proactive”or “reactive.” Proactive offers are those offers that are prioritizedfor presentation to customer callers. These offers are designed tosatisfy the minimum leads requirements for first positions. Thus, forexample, proactive offers appear first in routing lists that have beenrearranged by segment level value optimization logic 1355 to include aparticular offer in the first position so as to satisfy a minimum leadsrequirement for that offer. Moreover, if a customer whose associatedrouting list includes a proactive offer calls into the system, thecustomer will be routed to a presentation on that offer at some pointduring the call. This helps to ensure that the number of offers actuallypresented to customers agrees with the minimum leads requirement forthat offer for that month.

Reactive offers are those offers that appear in a routing list to whichcustomer callers will not necessarily be routed to hear associatedpresentations. Reactive offers include those offers appearing in thefirst position of routing lists that were eligible to be rearranged bysegment level value optimization logic 1355 but were not, because enoughrouting lists had already been rearranged to ensure that the minimumleads requirements were met. A customer service representative or othersystem administrator may route a customer call to hear a presentation ona reactive offer, but such routing is not given the priority thatproactive offers are afforded. Thus, a customer having a reactive offerin the first position of the customer's associated routing list will notgenerally be routed to hear any presentation should that customer callinto the system. Likewise, a customer having a proactive offer in thefirst position of that customer's routing list will generally be routedto hear a presentation on that offer.

For routing lists with proactive offers in the first position, reactiveadjustment logic 1360 orders the remaining eligible proactive offersaccording to ENPV from highest to lowest. For routing lists without aproactive offer in the first position after segment level valueoptimization logic 1355, reactive offer adjustment logic 1360 orders thereactive offers in each routing list according to offer rules inconstraints file 1325. Thus, should a customer service representativechoose to route a customer to a reactive offer presentation, thecustomer service representative is assured that the higher a reactiveoffer in the list, the more appropriate the offer will be for thatcustomer and for the offeror.

Campaign file optimization logic 1365 generates a file containingcustomer information, flags identifying offers, and offer ordering inthe respective routing list.

List management campaign file generation logic 1370 converts thecampaign files generated by campaign file optimization logic 1365 into astandardized format that is recognized by a list management servercoupled to the call routing system.

Call-handling resources are considered when actually implementing acampaign file during a customer call. In particular, if a queue for acustomer's highest priority offer is temporarily at full capacity, thecustomer may be routed to the next highest-priority offer. Specialqueues may also be used. For example, a queue staffed by top-ratedpersonnel may be dedicated to the highest-priority customers. In thatmanner, customers with the highest profitability potential are handledby expert staff. Other possibilities include using highly-capablepersonnel to staff queues with high throughput requirements.

FIG. 14 is a chart 1400 depicting lead optimization results according toan embodiment of the present invention. The quantities depicted in FIG.14 are typical and representative of finance data but do not representactual Bank One customer data. The first four columns 1410 containeligibility flags for all possible eligibility segments that may beformed by four offers. The four offers are: FIRST PROTECT (FP), HELOCTRANSFERS (HE), PRIVACY GUARD (PVG) and CREDIT CARD REGISTRY (CCR).Thus, there are sixteen rows, one for each eligibility segment. Thesecond two columns 1420 depict the empirically-derived frequency ofcustomer calls and corresponding average call probability amongcustomers in each eligibility segment. The next four columns 1430 depictthe number of first-position proactive offers for each particular offergrouped according to eligibility segment. These columns reflect theresults of lead optimization (e.g., by lead optimization logic 1345 andsubsequent processing). A numeric entry in a cell indicates the numberof first-position proactive offers selected from among the offer of thecorresponding column and the eligibility segment of the correspondingrow. Because chart 1400 illustrates results after lead optimization, thesum of the entries in each offer column equals (or exceeds) the minimumleads requirement for that offer. After summation column 1435 reflectingthe total number of proactive offers in each eligibility segment, thenext four columns 1440 depict the empirically-derived mean ENPVcorresponding to each entry in columns 1430. Thus, columns 1440 allowfor estimating the expected net present value that may be earned thatmonth. The last column 1445 records the sum from column 1435 multipliedby the entries of columns 1440. Thus, sum column 1445 includes the totalexpected net present value for that month for each of the eligibilitysegments.

By way of example, the entries in the sixth row 1450 of chart 1400 maybe interpreted as follows. In the first four columns 1410, zeros (0)appear under the offers PP and PVG and ones (1) appear under the offersHE and CCR. Thus, the sixth row 1450 corresponds to the eligibilitysegment of customers that are eligible for HELOC TRANSFERS and CREDITCARD REGISTRY and ineligible for FIRST PROTECT and PRIVACY GUARD.Columns 1420 of sixth row 1450 indicate that there are 69,281 customersin this segment and that the average call probability for thesecustomers is 9.42%. Columns 1430 contain one entry in sixth row 1450,namely 69,281 under HE. Thus, after lead optimization, every customer inthe eligibility segment of the sixth row 1450 has HELOC TRANSFERS as thecustomer's associated first position proactive offer. Even thoughcustomers in this eligibility segment are eligible for CREDIT CARDREGISTRY, none have this offer as a proactive offer due to optimizationtechniques. Because 69,281 customers with an ENPV of $0.43 have HELOCTRANSFERS as their proactive offer, column 1445 indicates that anexpected profit from this population is $29,919.

FIG. 15 is a chart 1500 depicting routing list formation for a number ofcall-in customers according to an embodiment of the present invention.The quantities depicted in FIG. 15 are typical and representative offinance data but do not represent actual Bank One customer data. Column1510 contains account numbers of customers whose routing list formationis illustrated. Columns 1515 correspond to three offers: FIRST PROTECT(FP), HELOC TRANSFERS (HE), PRIVACY GUARD (PVG). The correspondingeligibility segment for each account and these three offers appears incolumns 1515.

Column 1520 contains customer behavioral segments. Customer behavioralsegments are a classification scheme for grouping accounts based on cardusage, risk and value (i.e., profit) for the purpose of selecting andtargeting accounts for portfolio management program initiatives andoffers in general. The code BLEND indicates that the customer account isused as both a payment vehicle and for borrowing. The code EMOBindicates that the customer set up the account less than one year fromthe present date. Other codes that may be assigned include: INACTIVEindicating that the account has no balance and that there have been notransactions or interest over the past twelve months), LEND (indicatingthat the account is used predominantly as a borrowing vehicle), SPEND(indicating that the account is used primarily as a payment vehicle),and OTHER (indicating that the account has an anomaly such as missing arisk index or NPV).

Column 1525 includes the estimated call probabilities for each customer,and columns 1530 include the estimated response rates of each customerfor each offer. Column 1535 includes the NPV for each offer, and columns1540 weight the NPVs by the eligibility flags, response rates, and callprobabilities, yielding ENPVs for each offer. Finally, column 1545depicts the ranking of each offer according to ENPV.

By way of example, the first row 1550 in chart 1500 is directed toaccount number 5046. Columns 1515 include a one (1) for FP and PVG and azero (0) for HE. Thus, account number 5046 is eligible for FIRST PROTECTand PRIVACY GUARD and ineligible for HELOC TRANSFERS. Column 1520 offirst row 1550 includes the code BLEND, which indicated that theaccountholder uses the account both as a payment vehicle and forborrowing. The probability that the customer associated with accountnumber 5046 will call that month is estimated at 34.32%, given in column1520. The customer response rates appear in columns 1530. Thus, thecustomer associated with row 1550 has a 4.37% estimated probability ofaccepting FIRST PROTECT, a 8.17% estimated probability of acceptingHELOC TRANSFERS, and 23.85% estimated probability of accepting PRIVACYGUARD. The NPVs for account 5046 are given in columns 1535. For thecustomer whose data are recorded in row 1550, FIRST PROTECT has an NPVof $105.83, HELOC TRANSFERS has an NPV of $51.18, and PRIVACY GUARD hasan NPV of $26.76. Columns 1540 weight the NPVs of columns 1535 by theeligibility flags, response rates, and call probabilities, yieldingENPVs for each offer. In particular, FIRST PROTECT has an ENPV of$1.586, HELOC TRANSFERS has an ENPV of $0.000, and PRIVACY GUARD has anENPV of $2.190. Note that HELOC TRANSFERS' ENPV of $0.000 is a result ofthe customer being ineligible for that offer. Columns 1545 for row 1550indicate that FIRST PROTECT is ranked first, PRIVACY GUARD is rankedsecond, and HELOC TRANSFERS is not ranked, as the customer is ineligiblefor that offer.

As referred to herein, offers may be for products, services, or anycombination thereof. Any reference to an offered “product” should beinterpreted to mean product, service, or a combination thereof.

According to embodiments of the present invention, routing strategiesmay be formed by various methods. Optimization techniques are notlimited to linear or integer programming. Routing strategies may beformed real-time when each customer calls. Alternately, routingstrategies may be partially pre-formed, and finalized for eachparticular customer upon that customer calling in. For periodic offerformation, the formation period may be continuously, daily, weekly,monthly, or any other period.

In embodiments of the present invention, the ranking and optimizationtechniques presented herein may be used in the context of a web sitevisitor. In such embodiments, offers are presented to a customer whosecontact with the system is by way of a web site. By way of non-limitingexample, a customer may log in to a customer service site to manage hisor her account. The customer might be seeking information or intendingto change account parameters. Once the customer is identified bysupplying information to the web site, through using cookies, or byother technique, that customer's offer list is retrieved by the system.The offer list is formed in essentially the same way as a call-routinglist as disclosed herein. The offer list contains offers prioritized forpresentation to the customer through the web site or otherwise. Offerpresentations or advertisements may be presented to the customer viewingthe web site by way of pop-up windows, may be presented in the same webbrowser window in which the customer is accessing his or her account, ormay be by way of some other web-based presentation technique. One ormore offer presentations or advertisements may be delivered to thecustomer at any time before, during, or after the customer's purpose forvisiting the web site has been satisfied. The offer presentations oradvertisements may be automatically presented or may be manuallycontrolled by a system administrator.

Moreover, embodiments of the present invention may be at once bothtelephonic-based and web-based. For example, resting periods may beimposed after either or both of an offer presented telephonically or anoffer presented via the internet. For resting periods triggered bymultiple prior presentations, the system may take into account both weband telephonic presentations. In such unified systems, the offer listand call-routing list may be the same list, or may differ in order toaccount for differences between systems. Further, in such unifiedsystems, the offer presentations may be web-based, telephonic, or both.By way of non-limiting example, a call-in customer may receive offerpresentations over the internet (e.g., via email or on the system website the next time the customer visits), or a customer visiting a webpage may receive an offer presented telephonically (possibly at the sametime that the user is visiting the web site).

Real-time communications in embodiments of the present invention are notlimited to telephonic calls. More particularly, routing real-timecustomer interactions in embodiments of the present invention is notlimited to routing telephonic calls. By way of non-limiting example, thetechniques disclosed herein may be used to route voice-over-IPcommunications. Alternately, or in addition, the techniques disclosedherein may be used to route or otherwise direct real-time textinteractions. Such real-time text interactions may be, by way ofnon-limiting example, an internet chat forum, a real-time customerservice messaging forum, or text messaging, cellular-telephone phonebased or otherwise.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the techniquesdescribed herein are not limited to incoming customer calls. Inparticular, the call routing techniques based on account level data,call-handling resources, and/or customer data disclosed herein may beused to select one or more offer presentations targeted at customersreached by outgoing telephone calls or direct marketing.

In embodiments of the present invention, call return from IVR to IXT maybe accomplished by Transfer Connect technology supported by AT&TCorporation.

Other embodiments and uses of this invention will be apparent to thosehaving ordinary skill in the art upon consideration of the specificationand practice of the invention disclosed herein. The specification andexamples given should be considered exemplary only, and it iscontemplated that the appended claims will cover any other suchembodiments or modifications as fall within the true scope of theinvention.

1. A method of routing and handling incoming customer communications ina unified system having a central server, the method comprising:pre-forming, by at least one first computer processor, at leastpartially a communication strategy for a customer, in anticipation of atleast one incoming real-time communication from the customer, whereinthe at least one incoming real-time communication is selected from agroup consisting of telephonic calls, web-based communications,voice-over-IP communications, and real-time text interactions, the atleast partially pre-formed communication strategy comprising at leastone of a routing strategy and a handling strategy determined based oncustomer-specific behavior or profile data and/or offer informationrelating to one or more products or services; storing the at leastpartially pre-formed communication strategy in association with thecentral server; receiving, at the central server, information of acustomer communication including identification data that identifies thecustomer for whom the communication strategy has been at least partiallypre-formed; and generating, by at least one second computer processor, arouting control signal for routing or handling the customercommunication based at least in part on the at least partiallypre-formed communication strategy associated with the customer.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein said customer-specific behavior or profiledata comprises one or more online actions associated with saidcustomer's online account.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein saidreal-time text interactions are selected from a group consisting of atext messaging communications, Internet chat communications, andcustomer service messaging communications.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the identification data are selected from a group consisting ofa phone number, an IP address, a device identifier, a user identifier,and a program identifier.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:deciding, based at least in part on a communication probability derivedfrom customer-specific information, whether the customer communicationwill be routed to one of a plurality of cross-sell presentations.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: deciding, based at least in parton an offer eligibility derived from customer-specific information,whether the customer communication will be routed to one of a pluralityof cross-sell presentations.
 7. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: forming the communication strategy by applying anoptimization algorithm to determine whether to route the at least oneincoming real-time communication to one of a plurality of cross-sellpresentations.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: presentingthe at least partially pre-formed communication strategy to a customerservice representative.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:revising or refining the at least partially pre-formed communicationstrategy based on one or more additional inputs from the customer at ornear a time of the customer communication.
 10. The method of claim 1,wherein the customer communication is routed to a medium orcommunication channel different from that of the customer communication.11. A unified system for routing and handling incoming customercommunications, the system comprising: at least one central server; atleast one database accessible by the at least one central server; andcommunication interfaces for communicating with customers via one ormore channels selected from a group consisting of: telephonic calls,web-based communications, voice-over-IP communications, and real-timetext interactions; wherein the at least one central server is configuredto: pre-form at least partially a communication strategy for a customer,in anticipation of at least one incoming real-time communication fromthe customer, wherein the at least one incoming real-time communicationis selected from a group consisting of telephonic calls, web-basedcommunications, voice-over-IP communications, and real-time textinteractions, the at least partially pre-formed communication strategycomprising at least one of a routing strategy and a handling strategydetermined based on customer-specific behavior or profile data and/oroffer information relating to one or more products or services; storethe at least partially pre-formed communication strategy in the at leastdatabase; receive information of a customer communication includingidentification data that identifies the customer for whom thecommunication strategy has been at least partially pre-formed; andgenerate a routing control signal for routing or handling the customercommunication based at least in part on the at least partiallypre-formed communication strategy associated with the customer.
 12. Theunified system of claim 11, wherein said customer-specific behavior orprofile data comprises one or more online actions associated with saidcustomer's online account.
 13. The unified system of claim 11, whereinsaid real-time text interactions are selected from a group consisting ofa text messaging communications, Internet chat communications, andcustomer service messaging communications.
 14. The unified system ofclaim 11, wherein the identification data are selected from a groupconsisting of a phone number, an IP address, a device identifier, a useridentifier, and a program identifier.
 15. The unified system of claim11, wherein the at least one central server is further configured to:decide, based at least in part on a communication probability derivedfrom customer-specific information, whether the customer communicationwill be routed to one of a plurality of cross-sell presentations. 16.The unified system of claim 11, wherein the at least one central serveris further configured to: decide, based at least in part on an offereligibility derived from customer-specific information, whether thecustomer communication will be routed to one of a plurality ofcross-sell presentations.
 17. The unified system of claim 11, whereinthe at least one central server is further configured to: form thecommunication strategy by applying an optimization algorithm todetermine whether to route the at least one incoming real-timecommunication to one of a plurality of cross-sell presentations.
 18. Theunified system of claim 11, wherein the at least one central server isfurther configured to: present the at least partially pre-formedcommunication strategy to a customer service representative.
 19. Theunified system of claim 11, wherein the at least one central server isfurther configured to: revise or refine the at least partiallypre-formed communication strategy based on one or more additional inputsfrom the customer at or near a time of the customer communication. 20.The unified system of claim 11, wherein the customer communication isrouted to a medium or communication channel different from that of thecustomer communication.
 21. Instructions embodied in a non-transitorycomputer readable medium capable of causing a computer to route andhandle in a computer-implemented system incoming customercommunications, the instructions embodied in the non-transitory computerreadable medium configured to cause the computer to: pre-form at leastpartially a communication strategy for a customer, in anticipation of atleast one incoming real-time communication from the customer, whereinthe at least one incoming real-time communication is selected from agroup consisting of telephonic calls, web-based communications,voice-over-IP communications, and real-time text interactions, the atleast partially pre-formed communication strategy comprising at leastone of a routing strategy and a handling strategy determined based oncustomer-specific behavior or profile data and/or offer informationrelating to one or more products or services; store the at leastpartially pre-formed communication strategy in association with thecomputer-implemented system; receive information of a customercommunication including identification data that identifies the customerfor whom the communication strategy has been at least partiallypre-formed; and generate a routing control signal for routing orhandling the customer communication based at least in part on the atleast partially pre-formed communication strategy associated with thecustomer.